Chayote slow-cooked in a tomato base – simple flavors that get their kick from a tempering of mustard and asafoetida. This is one of those curries that only ask for time, not exceptional skill or effort.
Spices & Herbs
Recipes that use herbs and spices as a key ingredient.
Butter Soy Baby Corn – Three Ingredients Only!
WYSIWYG in this recipe: three ingredients – butter, soy sauce, fresh baby corn – come together to give this delicious snack.
Spring Onion Jhunka
When you have run out of vegetables, make jhunka.
This piece of wisdom that I received from my Punekar friend was worth its weight in gold during the pandemic lockdown. With just besan and my backlog of onions, the barebones jhunka recipe gave me several filling, comforting meals.
So, what exactly is jhunka? Wikipedia defines it as:
…a vegetarian traditional Indian dish prepared in Maharashtra, Goa and North Karnataka. It is essentially a chickpea flour porridge.
Hmmm. Calling it a “porridge” is rather a stretch! Do they mean pithle? I’ll let the matter rest with a Shakespearean reference and point you to the blog becauseanyonecancook, which describes pithle and jhunka with more nuance.
Kashmir-Inspired Radish Walnut Chutney
Epic’s Tyohaar ki Thali was playing on my TV as I went about Sunday chores, only half an eye on the proceedings on screen…when this radish walnut chutney recipe made me stop in my tracks.
What an intriguing flavor profile, and what simplicity!
I had a fresh bunch of moolis in my fridge and a pot of homemade dahi. I decided to try out this recipe immediately.
Sookhe Bharwan Baingan: Dry Spice Stuffed Eggplant
Sookhe bharwan baingan is a delicious side dish of spice-stuffed baby eggplants. It uses few ingredients – no onion, garlic or tomatoes – and can be put together easily with basic Indian spices.
Kachumber Salad: Classic Indian Cucumber Onion Tomato Salad
Kachumber – a classic Indian cucumber onion tomato salad that’s light, fresh and oil-free. This healthy side dish made with raw, fresh vegetables gives a pleasant counterpoint to rich Indian curries such as baingan masala, gobi musallam, dahi arbi. And of course, kachumber salad is most famously paired with dhansak.
Okra and Baby Potato Stew
Do you believe that okra should never be cooked moist? This okra and baby potato stew will make you re-evaluate that belief! When simmered in a flavorful tomato curry, okra and potatoes get infused with a delicious tang and, thanks to the acidity of the tomatoes, none of the okra slime.